CANADA

How many Canadians are not active enough?

• Physical inactivity remains pervasive in Canada, with 61% of adults aged 18 and older still considered insufficiently active for optimal health benefits in 2000, compared with 79% in 1981.
  
  
• While the physical inactivity rate is high in all regions of the country, it declines slightly as we move from Eastern to Western Canada.
  
  
• More women (67%) than men (54%) are inactive. Physical inactivity levels also increase by age, with fewer 18-24 year-olds being inactive than adults in older age groups.

What about children?

• Over half of children and youth aged 5-17 are not active enough for optimal growth and development. For the purposes of this analysis, the term "active enough" is equivalent to an energy expenditure of at least eight kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day (KKD). For example, a half hour of martial arts plus walking for a total of at least one hour throughout the day would be sufficient activity for a child.
  
  
• Girls are less active than boys: 38% of girls and 48% of boys are considered active enough for optimal health benefits. This sex difference appears in both grade-school children and teenagers. For children aged 5-12, 44% of girls versus 53% of boys are considered active enough. Similarly, 30% of adolescent girls and 40% of adolescent boys are considered sufficiently active.
  
  Physical activity levels among children and youth
  
• Time spent in physical activity by children—Preschool children aged 1-4 reportedly spend 29 hours in physically active play and 14 hours in quiet play (e.g., watching videos, colouring) each week. This is equivalent to roughly four hours of physical activity during play every day.
  
  Canadian children aged 5-12 spend an average of 16.5 hours a week on physical activity, according to parents’ reports. Home is a common location for physical activity among children this age (reported by nearly 85% of parents), who spend an average of 9.6 hours being active at home. There is high variability in the amount of time children spend being active at home, however, with many parents stating their child typically does no activity at all at home, while others report high levels of activity. The median amount of time children spend in activity at home is likely a more accurate estimate, and this totals just 7 hours a week. Participation in physical education classes at school is reported by 78% of parents, with the average amount of time their children spend in physical education classes each week being about two hours. About half of parents of children aged 5-12 also report their child does other physical activities at school for just under 2 hours a week, on average. However, the median amount of time spent on these activities is just 1 hour per week. About 3 hours each week on average is spent in other physical activities outside of home and school (reported by just over 70% of parents), while the median amount of time is 2 hours a week.
  
  Parents of girls aged 5-12 are less likely than parents of boys aged 5-12 to report that their children participate in physical activity at school other than activity in physical education classes (48% compared to 56%).
  
  
• Time spent in physical activity by youth—Parents report that adolescents aged 13-17 spend an average of almost 14 hours a week on physical activity.
  
  The average amount of time spent in activity at home is just over 5 hours a week, although this varies widely. The median is perhaps a better estimate in this case, totally just 3 hours a week spent in activity at home. At school, 65% of teenagers reportedly take part in physical education classes for an average of 2.5 hours a week (30 minutes more than the median estimate). Another 45% reportedly spend time doing other physical activities at school, for an average of about two hours a week. The majority of teenagers aged 13-17 do no other physical activity at school, however. According to parents reports, about half of adolescents this age engage in physical activity outside of school, although the amount of time spent in activities outside of school and home varies widely, with the median totally just 2 hours a week. This latter figure is likely a more accurate reflection of how much time teenagers spend in these kinds of activities. Just over one in ten teenagers aged 13-17 also spend about one hour each week engaged in physical activity at work, although the amount of time spent in activity at work varies widely, with most doing no physical activity at all in this setting during a typical week.
  
  Parents of adolescent girls are less likely than parents of adolescent boys to report that their children participate in physical activity at school other than activity in physical education classes (40% compared to 49%).

What are the popular physical activities in Canada?

• Walking continues to be the most popular physical activity in Canada, with 82% of adults aged 18 and older reporting participation in this activity during the previous 12 months. Here is the list of most popular physical activities in Canada:
  
  

  Walking	82%
  Gardening, yard work	72
  Home exercise	57
  Swimming	55
  Social dancing	47
  Bicycling	45
  Weight training	30
  Golf	28
  Bowling	28
  Jogging, running	28
  Skating	26
  Baseball, softball	22
  In-line skating	20
  Exercise class, aerobics	18
  Soccer	16
  Badminton	15
  Volleyball	15
  Basketball	15
  Alpine skiing	14
  Tennis	13
  Cross-country skiing	12
  Ice hockey	12
  Yoga, tai chi	9
  Football	8
  Ballet, modern dance	5
  Snowboarding	5
  Squash	4
  Racquetball	3

• Women are more likely than men to participate in exercise classes, to exercise at home, to participate in social dancing, to walk for exercise, and to take part in yoga or tai chi. Conversely, men are more likely than women to report activities including hockey, baseball or softball, soccer, bicycling, weight training, basketball, volleyball, football, jogging and running, golf, tennis, skating, and in-line skating.
  
  
• Preschoolers — Playing on swings, slides, and teeter-totters is the most popular physical activity among children aged 1-4, as reported by virtually all parents (95%). Roughly three-quarter of preschoolers participate in swimming. Approximately two-thirds of preschoolers participate in running or kicking games, and bicycling. Tobogganing or other winter activities rank in fifth place at 60%, followed by gymnastics or Kiddy gym (39%), then skating (33%). Boys aged 1-4 are more likely than girls of the same age to participate in running and kicking games.
  
  
• School-age children — Bicycling is the most reported physical activity among children aged 5-12, followed by swimming, playing on swings, slides, and teeter-totters, then walking. The next most popular activities in this age group are tobogganing or other winter activities, skating, soccer, in-line skating, running or jogging. Boys aged 5-12 are more likely than girls of the same age to play golf, snowboard, skateboard, and participate in team sports such as soccer, football, hockey, basketball, or baseball. However, more girls than boys participate in social dancing, skating, gymnastics, ballet or other dance classes, and play on swings, slides and teeter-totters.
  
  Top physical activities among school-age children
• Teens — Generally, the activities that are most popular among children aged 5-12 remain popular among adolescents, although the proportion of teenagers participating in each activity is usually lower. Nevertheless, a number of activities are more popular among teenagers than among younger children: alpine skiing, weight training, volleyball, social dancing, badminton, golf, tennis, football, basketball, exercise classes, and snowboarding. Teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to participate in social dancing, cross-country skiing, exercise classes or aerobics, and ballet or other dance classes. On the other hand, teenage boys are more likely than teenage girls to engage in bicycling, golf, snowboarding, skateboarding, weight training, and team sports such as baseball, basketball, hockey, football and soccer.
  
  Top physical activities among teens
  

Knowledge of physical activity guidelines

• Awareness of guidelines—The 2000 Physical Activity Monitor examined (1) Canadians' awareness of physical activity guidelines for adults and (2) their understanding of the messaging contained in these guidelines. Two in five Canadians are aware of some guidelines for physical activity.
  
  
• Understanding of Guide messages—When asked whether activity could be accumulated to meet the guidelines, a key message in Canada's Physical Activity Guide, Canadians display a mixed understanding about the requirement. Half report that people need to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity all at one time, and half report, as per the Guide, that they need to accumulate 30 minutes of physical activity throughout the day.

Choices in commuting

• Active commuting among adults—Just over half of adults report having walked during the past year to work, school, for errands, or as a means of getting around. Those who report walking to commute did so for 143 days during the past year and spent, on average, just over one hour and a half walking on those days.
  
  Almost one in five Canadians report having bicycled during the past year to commute. On average, they bicycled to commute 59 days out of the past year and typically spent just under one hour and a half bicycling on those days.
  
  Women are more likely than men to cite walking as a means of commuting (55% compared to 49%), whereas men are more likely than women to report bicycling to commute (20% versus 13%).
  
  Younger adults (aged 18-24) are more likely than all other age groups to walk and bicycle as a means of commuting (ages 18-24: 72%; ages 25-44: 53%; ages 45-64: 44%; ages 65 and older: 42%).
  
  
• Commuting for children: Active choices—Just over 28%, or one in four parents report that their children aged 5-17 use entirely active modes to travel to and from school each day. One in five (22%) parents report that their children usually walk to and from school, while 2% of parents indicate that their children typically ride a bike. Another 4% of Canadian children reportedly use a combination of walking and bicycling to get to and from school. Only one in ten children in small communities (<1000) reportedly commute actively to school, compared to almost one third of children living in larger communities.
  
  Parents of younger children aged 5-12 years are more likely than parents of adolescents aged 13-17 years old to report that their children use active modes, like walking or bicycling, to get to and from school (32% compared to 25% respectively).
  
  Among adolescents, a slightly higher percentage of boys compared to girls commute actively, according to parents’ reports (27% versus 22%).
  
  
• Commuting for children: Inactive choices—Over half (51%) of Canadian children aged 5-17 rely solely on inactive modes of transportation to travel to and from school. Just under one third of Canadian parents indicate that their children typically catch a bus or a train, while 4% of parents report that their children usually commute entirely by car. About 6% of parents report a combination of motorized means of transport. Children living in the smallest communities (<1000) are more likely than those in larger communities to travel to and from school by car, bus or some other motorized transport, according to parents’ reports.
  
  Adolescents aged 13-17 years are more likely than children aged 5-12 to commute to school using sedentary forms of transport (54% compared to 48%).
  
  Girls in both age groups are slightly more likely than boys to use completely inactive modes to commute to and from school (ages 5-12 years: 50% versus 46%; ages 13-17 years: 57% versus 52%).
  
  
• Commuting for children: Mixed choices—One in five Canadian children (21%) use a mixed mode, or combination of active and inactive modes of transportation, to travel to and from school. Typically this involves walking for part of the way and being driven, or taking a bus or other public transport, for the rest of the journey. About 14% of children reportedly travel to and from school in this manner. Another 2% of children typically bicycle part of the way, and use motorized transport for the rest of the journey. About 5% of children use a more varied combination of active and inactive modes of transportation to get to and from school, which may at different times involve walking, bicycling, and various motorized transport.
  
  There is no age- or sex-related difference in the number of children aged 5-17 years using a mixed mode of transportation to travel to and from school.

Physical activity programming in the school environment

• Physical activity opportunities among preschool children—About half, or 47% of Canadian parents report that their young children attend a day-care or are in preschool. Among parents of children in day care or preschool, 70% indicate that their children participate in organized physical activities (such as supervised walks) either often or very often. Similarly for unorganized physical activities, such as playing on playground equipment, or participating in running or kicking games; about 70% of parents with young children in day care or preschools report that their children engage in these kinds of activities either often or very often.
  
  While in preschool or day care, girls aged 1-4 and boys aged 1-4 participate in organized (66% and 75%) and unorganized (73% and 70%) physical activities just as frequently.
  
  
• Physical education opportunities at school—Forty-one percent of parents of children 5 years and older indicate that their children receive physical education at school 1-2 days a week, 27% report that their children participate 3-4 days a week, and one in five Canadian parents say that their children receive daily physical education. Ten percent report that their children receive no physical education at all. For children receiving physical education, the average reported class duration is 47 min. Over half of Canadian parents, believe their children get enough physical activity through physical education at school.
  
  Half of Canadian children aged 5-12 years reportedly receive physical education classes 1-2 days each week. A further 29% participate 3-4 days a week, and about one in five children this age receive daily physical education. Very few children in this age group receive no physical education at all. In contrast, one in five adolescents aged 13-17 years reportedly receive no physical education at all at school. Another 29% participate 1-2 days a week, 26% take classes 3-4 days a week, while one in four receive daily physical education. Yet disturbingly, parents of adolescents are more likely than parents of younger children to believe that their children get enough physical activity through physical education provided at school (61% versus 53%).
  
  
• Other physical activity programming at school—Two-thirds of Canadian parents report that their children’s school offers physical activity programs outside of physical education classes. Two in five parents believe that these types of programs meet their children’s needs quite well or very well, and a further 21% report that they meet their children’s needs moderately well. However, 37% state that their children’s needs are met only somewhat well or not at all.
  
  Parents of adolescents are more likely than parents of younger children to report the existence of other opportunities at school besides physical education (82% compared to 58%).
  
  
• Use of local physical activity facilities by schools—Roughly three-quarters of Canadian parents indicate that their children’s school makes use of local community facilities for school physical activity programming. This can include trips to local ski hills, community swimming pools, arenas, and so on.
  
  Parents of adolescents (aged 13-17) are more likely than parents of younger children (aged 5-12) to report that their children’s school makes use of local physical activity facilities (76% versus 71%).

Children's use of time after school

• Doing sedentary activities after school—Parents report that two-thirds of children (69%) usually do homework for part of the time between the end of classes and dinner, and three-quarters (76%) also reportedly engage in other sedentary activities, such as reading, watching television, or playing computer or video games. Accurate measures of overall time spent in sedentary activities during this time were not able to be derived because it is feasible that children may sometimes do two or more sedentary activities at once (such as doing homework and watching television at the same time).
  
  Parents report that regardless of age, girls are more likely than boys to do homework after school (5-12 year olds: 72% versus 66%; 13-17 year olds: 79% versus 63%), whereas boys are slightly more likely than girls to do other sedentary activities, such as watching television, reading, or playing computer and video games (5-12 year olds: 78% versus 72%; 13-17 year olds: 81% versus 74%).
  
  Mothers and fathers are equally likely to report that their children participate in sedentary activities between the end of school and dinner (homework: 70% and 69%; watching television, reading, and playing computer games: 74% and 79%).
  
  
• Doing chores after school—Overall about half of children spend some time doing chores between the time they finish school and supper. Nearly two thirds of children in smaller communities (<10,000) reportedly do chores during this time, compared to fewer than half of children in larger communities (over 75,000).
  
  According to parents’ reports, girls of all ages are more likely than boys to do chores after school (5-12 year olds: 55% versus 44%; 13-17 year olds: 63% versus 56%). Teenagers of both sexes (aged 13-17) are more likely than younger children (aged 5-12) to do chores during this time (59% versus 49%).
  
  
• Playing outdoors after school—Three-quarters of Canadian children reportedly play outdoors between the time they finish school and the time they eat dinner. Children living in larger communities (over 300,000) are less likely than those living in smaller communities to play outdoors after school, according to parents’ reports.
  
  Children aged 5-12 are far more likely than teenagers aged 13-17 to play outdoors after school (89% versus 53% respectively). Among adolescents, boys are reportedly more likely than girls to play outdoors after school (62% versus 41%).
  
  Mothers and fathers are equally likely to report that their children play outdoors after school (73% and 74%).
  
  
• Participating in organized activities after school—One-third of children reportedly spend time in organized activities, such as soccer practice or swim classes, between the time they finish school and the time they eat dinner.
  
  Younger children (aged 5-12) are more likely than adolescents (aged 13-17) to participate in organized physical activities after school (35% versus 27%). In the younger age group, girls are more likely than boys to participate in organized activities after school according to parents’ reports (39% versus 31%).
  
  Mothers and fathers are equally likely to report that their children participate in organized physical activities after school (33% and 30%).
  
  Participating in unorganized activities after school—According to Canadian parents, two-thirds of children spend time in unorganized physical activities, such as bicycling or walking, between the time they finish school and the time they have dinner.
  
  Over three-quarters of young children (aged 5-12) reportedly spend time in unorganized activities after school, compared to just over half of adolescents (aged 13-17). Among adolescents, more boys than girls (64% versus 42%) participate in these types of activities after school.
  
  Mothers are more likely than fathers to report that their children engage in these types of activities (70% versus 64%).

Local opportunities to be active

• Public facilities and programs—The majority (89%) of Canadian parents report that public facilities and programs are available locally for their children to do physical activities. About 60% of Canadian parents believe that these public facilities and programs meet their children’s physical activity needs well or very well, while 24% report that they meet their needs somewhat well. Fifteen percent say that they do not meet their children’s needs very well or at all. Twenty-nine percent of Canadian parents report that their children use these types of facilities and programs often or very often, 32% use them somewhat often, and 39% use them rarely or not at all.
  
  Canadian parents of 5-12 year-olds are more likely than parents of younger or older children to report that the local public facilities meet their children’s physical activity needs well or very well (65%, 54%, and 59%, respectively), and that their children use the facilities often or very often (34%, 23%, and 24%, respectively).
  
  Among children aged 5 and older, public programs and facilities are seen as better meeting the physical activity needs of boys rather than girls (ages 5-12: 68% versus 61%; ages 13-17: 63% versus 53%). Teenage boys also reportedly use these types of facilities more often than teenage girls (29% compared to 18%).
  
  
• Private facilities and programs—Two-thirds of Canadian parents indicate that local private facilities and programs are available for their children’s physical activity. Forty percent believe that the local private facilities and programs meet their children’s physical activity needs well or very well, 23% believe that these needs are met somewhat well, and the remaining 38% report that these facilities do not meet their children’s needs very well or at all. The majority of children (62%) reportedly do not use private facilities and programs very often or at all.
  
  Children’s age and sex was not related to use or to perceived availability of private physical activity facilities and programs in the local community.
  
  
• Local parks and outdoor spaces—Local parks and outdoor spaces in which children can do physical activity are available to most Canadians (92%). Sixty-one percent of parents indicate that these types of facilities meet their children’s needs either well or very well, a further 23% report that they meet their needs somewhat, and 16% believe that they do not meet their needs very well or at all. Forty percent of Canadian children reportedly use parks and outdoor spaces often or very often, 30% use them somewhat often, and 30% do not use them very often or at all.
  
  There is a dramatic decrease with children’s age in the number of Canadian children using parks and outdoor spaces for physical activities, as well as the proportion of parents who think these facilities meet their children’s needs well or very well. Two thirds of parents of children 1-4 report using parks and outdoor spaces, compared to fewer than half of parents of 5-12 year olds, and just 25% of parents of adolescents.
  
  
• Other local places for physical activity—Three-quarters of Canadian parents report that there are other places, like school yards used after hours, available locally for their children to do physical activity. Moreover, 44% of all parents reporting availability believe that these facilities meet their children’s needs well or very well, a further 27% report that they meet these needs somewhat well, and 29% report that they do not meet these needs very well or at all. One-quarter of children reportedly use these types of facilities often or very often, 28% use them somewhat often, and 48% do not use them very often or at all.
  
  Parents of adolescents are less likely than parents of 1-4 year olds and parents of 5-12 year olds to consider that these other types of facilities address their children’s needs well or very well (33% versus 46% and 50%, respectively) or to report that their children use these types of facilities often or very often (17% versus 25% and 28%, respectively).
  
  Among children aged 5-12 and 13-17, girls (5-12: 25%; 13-17: 14%) are reportedly less likely than boys (5-12: 31%; 13-17: 20%) to use these facilities.
  
  
• Safety concerns about children’s physical activity—About half of Canadian parents have moderate to serious concerns about their children’s safety when they are playing outdoors in the local neighbourhood. One-third of Canadian parents report that they worry a great deal when their child is playing outside and an additional 17% of parents worry to a moderate degree. A further 21% worry somewhat, 16% worry a little, and just 14%, or about over one in ten, report that they do not worry at all.
  
  The younger the children, the more likely parents are to report that they worry great deal when their children are playing in the neighbourhood (i.e., 49% of preschoolers’ parents compared with 21% of adolescents’ parents).
  
  Parents of children aged 5 and older are more likely to report great concern about girls’ safety than about boys’ safety: 38% of 5-12 year old girls' parents compared to 33% of 5-12 year old boys' parents and 25% of adolescent girls' parents compared to 18% of adolescent boys' parents.

Parental involvement in children's physical activity

• Playing active games or sports with children—Roughly two in five Canadian parents (43%) report playing active games or sports with their children either often or very often. A further 34% do this sometimes, and 23% do this rarely or not at all.
  
  Canadian parents are much less likely to be involved in their children’s play as their children get older. Indeed, 76% of parents report playing active games or sports either often or very often with their 1-4 year-olds, yet only 20% of parents play actively with their 13-17 year-olds.
  
  Canadian parents are as likely to play active games often or very often with their sons (41%) and daughters (43%).
  
  
• Transporting children to physical activities—The majority of Canadian parents (60%) take their children often or very often to and from places where they can be physically active. Moreover, 25% do this sometimes, and 15% do this rarely or not at all.
  
  Parents of adolescents (aged 13-17) are less likely than parents of younger children to take their children to and from places where they can be physically active (50% versus 64%).
  
  Canadian parents are just as likely to take their daughters or sons often or very often to and from places where they can be physically active (59% and 60%).
  
  
• Volunteering with physical activities—Just over one-quarter of Canadian parents report that they have supervised recess or helped out at a physical activity event at school during the past year. Also, roughly two out of every five parents indicate that they have volunteered to help with their children’s physical activities outside of school, including volunteering for a sport or recreation group, serving on a committee, helping at a special event or outing, or the like.
  
  Parents of younger children (aged 5-12) are more likely than parents of adolescents (aged 13-17) to report supervising recess or another school event (36% versus 19%), as well as volunteering for physical activities outside of school (45% versus 33%).
  
  Parents of teenage girls are more likely than parents of teenage boys to have supervised school physical activities (32% compared to 26%).
  
  
• Financial support of children’s physical activity—Roughly two-thirds of Canadian parents report that during the previous 12 months they have contributed financially to their children’s physical activities, including buying equipment, paying a membership or fee, or paying for coaching or instruction for their children’s physical activity.
  
  Parents of children aged 5-12 are more likely than parents of younger and older children to report contributing financially to their children’s physical activities (ages 5-12: 76%; ages 1-4: 56%; ages 13-17: 68%).
  
  Parents of girls and parents of boys are just as likely to report contributing financially to their children’s physical activities (70% versus 71%).
  

Children's physical activity preferences

• Active or sedentary activities?—Almost one-third of Canadian parents report that their children prefer to spend most of their time being physically active, whereas 18% of parents state that their children prefer mostly quiet activities, such as watching television, reading, or playing computer games. In addition, over half of parents report that their children like to do both physically active and sedentary activities equally.
  
  Parents of young children (aged 5-12) are more likely than parents of adolescents (aged 13-17) to report that their children prefer to spend their time being physically active (33% versus 24%). Conversely, parents indicate that teenagers are more likely than younger children to prefer quiet activities (25% compared to 13%).
  
  In both age groups, boys are reportedly more likely than girls to prefer spending time being physically active (ages 5-12: 37% versus 28%; ages 13-17: 27% versus 20%).
  
  
• Organized or unorganized physical activities?—One-third of parents report that when their children are active, they prefer participating in unorganized physical activities, such as riding a bike, skateboarding, or walking, whereas half as many (16%) state that their children prefer to engage in organized activities, such as soccer, dance classes, or competitive basketball. The remaining 50% of parents say that their children like organized and unorganized physical activities equally.
  
  According to parents, adolescents (aged 13-17) are more likely than younger children (aged 5-12) to prefer organized activities (24% compared to 11%). For their part, children aged 5-12 appear more likely than older children to display an equal liking for both types of activity (56% versus 41%).
  
  Adolescent girls are reportedly more likely than adolescent boys to report a preference for more organized activities (28% versus 21%).
  
  
• Vigorous- or moderate-intensity activities?—One-quarter of parents (28%) report that their children prefer vigorous physical activities, which involve considerable "running around," over moderate activities, which are less strenuous. An equal proportion (27%) of parents report a preference on the part of their children for moderate over vigorous activities. In addition, 41% of parents indicate that their children favour vigorous- and moderate-intensity activities equally, and the remaining 4% of parents estimate that their children prefer neither.
  
  Parents of younger children (aged 5-12) are more likely than parents of adolescents (aged 13-17) to report that their children favour activities of both intensities equally (43% versus 38%).
  
  Regardless of age, boys are reportedly more likely than girls to prefer vigorous-intensity activities (ages 5-12: 34% versus 25%; ages 13-17: 31% compared to 18%) and, conversely, girls are more likely than boys to prefer moderate-intensity activities (ages 5-12: 31% compared to 20%; ages 13-17: 40% versus 22%).

Survey info
The 2000 Physical Activity Monitor is the fifth wave of the Physical Activity Monitor and was conducted in the spring, summer and fall of 2000. It was designed to be completed through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). In addition to completing individual interviews, parents answered questions about one or two of their children under 18 who were still living at home. A total of 5,148 adults aged 18 and older and 3,334 children aged 1 to 17 constituted the final sample.

For more info...
The report entitled Increasing physical activity: Supporting children's participation, published in December 2001, presents the findings from the 2000 Physical Activity Monitor as well as detailed tables by age, sex, province, physical activity level, education level, family income, employment status, community size, and family composition. You can download the full report in PDF format from our publication list.